Saints Report Card: Grading the surprises, standouts, and disappointments from the first third of the season

Defensive superlatives

MVP: EDGE Carl Granderson

Granderson leads the team in sacks and consistently makes plays on third down, it seems. Chase Young just returned to the field, but there has been no comparison to Granderson off the edge so far this season for the Saints. He could also be a valuable trade piece over the next couple of weeks.

Glue guy: LB Demario Davis

Similarly to Kamara, this is a veteran guy who always does his job. Davis has been impressive in the run defense game, and he still moves much better than anyone would have predicted at his age. You always know you're getting his leadership, too.

Biggest surprise: DT Bryan Bresee

This is a big development for the Saints. Bresee has had a couple lapses when it comes to penalties, but his consistent pressure on QB and splash plays have really ignited some defensive stands for the Saints. It feels like he's working really well in Brandon Staley's scheme.

Biggest disappointment: LB Pete Werner

Werner has recorded a 52.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, but his struggles have stood out due to the issues in the Saints secondary, too. Werner is expected to fill space in the passing game, but often, he's had trouble with finding tight ends leaking out or running backs looking for a check down. He is not playing up to the standard of his deal with the Saints so far this season, and rookie Danny Stutsman may see more playing time as weeks go by.

Defense overall grade: C-

2025 draft class superlatives

Overachiever: S Jonas Sanker

Sanker took some lumps in Week 6, but he has been a revelation for the Saints so far as a young player. He is flying around on defense and has clearly learned from Justin Reid when it comes to using his eyes to diagnose where to be early and often on plays. He's played beyond his years so far.

Rookie we need to see more from: LB Danny Stutsman

Got a glimpse of him against the Patriots in Week 6 - but those chances should increase. He made a great play during his series in that game and has seen time on special teams as well. He brings a ton of energy to the field and provides some more size at linebacker.

Underachiever: QB Tyler Shough

This is really not Shough's fault as much as it has been Rattler playing better than expected. Taking a quarterback at 40th overall signifies a hope he can start in the near future, but Shough hasn't gotten legitimate playing time so far this season after the preseason concluded. We will see what his future holds.

draft class overall grade: B-

Coaching report card

Grade: C+

I do not blame the coaching staff for the Saints' slow start and early record too much. I believe Moore has done a nice job with what he has in terms of talent on offense, and Brandon Staley's unit has been resilient in the second half of games so far.

The roster is lacking star talent, and there is plenty of unknown for the future in the current state of it. When this staff was hired, they understood a rebuild was underway. That's just the reality of it in New Orleans. Moore, Staley, and others have done fairly well with what they've been given to this point, but the Saints need to keep improving and playing the young talent.